Advice from the Quran: How to Attain Sincerity.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

{via}

Free oneself from the opinion of others:

..... only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude.

(Surah Al-Insan, Verse 9)

Compete in doing good:

.... Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation (united in religion) but (He intended) to test you in what He has given you; so race to (all that is) good. To Allah is your return all together ...

(Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 48)

Increase the fear of Allah:

Or who is it that could provide for you if He withheld His provision? But they have persisted in insolence and aversion.

(Surah Al-Mulk, Verse 21)

Understand that every soul shall taste death:

Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your (full) compensation on the Day of Resurrection .... And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.

(Surah Aale Imraan, Verse 185)

Only expect the Pleasure of Allah:

And whoever of you devoutly obeys Allah and His Messenger and does righteousness - We will give her her reward twice; and We have prepared for her a noble provision.

(Surah Al-Ahzab, Verse 31)

May Allah give us all the ability to bring sincerity into every part of our lives - Ameen.

Wasalaam!

The Blessing of Knowledge

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

.... And Allah taught you that which you knew not. And Ever-Great is the Grace of Allah unto you (O Muhammad (saw).

(Surah An-Nisa, Verse 113)

Ignorance can kill a person's conscience and soul.

... I admonish you, lest you be one of the ignorant.

(Surah Hud, Verse 46)

Knowledge is a light that leads to wisdom. It is life for your soul and fuel for your character.

Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men, like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out?

(Surah Al-'An'am, Verse 122)

Happiness and high spirits come with enlightenment because through knowledge, one may fulfil his goals and discover what was previously hidden from him. The soul, by its very nature, longs for the acquisition of new knowledge to stimulate it and the mind.

Ignorance is boredom and grief, because the ignorant person leads a life that never offers anything new or mind provoking. Yesterday is like today, which in turn is like tomorrow.

If you desire happiness, then seek out knowledge and enlightenment, and you will find that anxiety, depression and grief will leave you.

.... And say: "My Lord! Increase me in knowledge".

(Surah Taha, Verse 114)

Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists).

(Surah Al-'Alaq, Verse 1)

The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said:

If Allah wishes good for someone, He gives him an understanding of the Religion.

Therefore, if someone is ignorant, let him not be proud of either his wealth or his status in society: his life is lacking in meaning and his achievements are woefully incomplete.

Shall he then who knows that what has been revealed unto you (O Muhammad (saw) from your Lord is the truth be like him who is blind? ...

(Surah Ar-Ra'd, Verse 19)

Az-Zamakhshari, the well-known commentator of the Quran, said in verse form:

The sleepless nights I spend in learning the sciences, are more beloved to me than the company or caresses of the enchanting woman, 

My rapturous exhilaration when understanding a difficult concept, is more delicious to me than the most exotic drink,

More delightful to me than the sound of a woman's hands on the drum, are my hands on my papers in order to remove dust.

O he who tries to attain my level by wishful thinking, how much difference there is between the one who finds the pain of climbing to be too much and between the one who climbs and reaches the summit.

Do I toil through the night, while you sleep through it, yet you hope to surpass me?

How noble is enlightenment? And through it, how happy is the soul?

Is he who is on a clear proof from his Lord, like those for whom there evil deeds that they do are beautified for them, while they follow their own lusts (evil desires)?

(Surah Muhammad, Verse 14)

(Dr. 'A'id al-Qarni)

Wasalaam!

Virtues of Surah Al-Faatiha

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

First, let us look at the beautiful meaning of this Surah:

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

All praise is only for Allah, the Lord of the universe.

The Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Master of the Day of Retribution

Only You do we worship, and only You do we ask for help.

Guide us upon the straight path.

The path of those whom You have favoured, not the path of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor those who have gone astray.

Allah mentions Surah Al-Faatiha in Surah Hijr:

Verily, We have granted you seven verses that are often repeated, and the Glorious Quran.

(Surah Al-Hijr, Verse 87)

The Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said:

"Surah Al-Faatiha is the greatest Surah in the Quran".

(Bukhari - Vol. 2 - Pg. 642)

Tirmidhi reports that the Prophet (saw) said:

"By Allah! Such a Surah (Al-Faatiha) has not been revealed in the Torah, nor in the Injeel, nor in the Zaboor, nor in the Quran".

Abu Umamah (ra) reports from the Prophet (saw) that only 4 things were revealed from the treasures that lie beneath Allah's Throne. These are:

1. Surah Al-Faatiha

2. Ayatul Kursi

3. The concluding verses of Surah Al-Baqarah

4. Surah Al-Kauthar

Hadhrat Abdul Malik bin Umair (ra) narrates that the Prophet (saw) said:

"Faatihatul Kitaab (Surah Al-Faatiha) is a cure for everything".

(Durrul Manthoor)

Hadhrat Anas (ra) reports that the Prophet (saw) said:

"When any of you lies down to rest at night, he will be safe from everything besides death if he recites Faatihatul Kitaab and Surah Al-Ikhlas.

(Durrul Manthoor)

May Allah give us all the ability to recite Surah Al-Fatiha with real consideration as to its virtues and meaning - Ameen!

Wasalaam!

Organize Your Time

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Try reading a good book or listening to a useful lecture. Listen to a beautiful recitation of the Book of Allah - perhaps a single verse will penetrate deeply in your heart and stir your conscience, bringing guidance and light, and dispelling doubts and despair.

Read the books of Sunnah and the words of the Prophet (saw) in Riyad-us-Saaliheen. You will find the correct remedy and beneficial knowledge which will protect you from slipping or making mistakes, and will solve all your problems.

Your medicine is in the Revelation, the Quran and Sunnah, your comfort is in faith, your delight in prayer, your peace of mind in contentment, the beauty of your face in smiling, the protection of your honour in hijab, and your tranquility in dhikr - remembrance of Allah, the All Merciful.

Wasalaam!

It is Sufficient Honour for You that You are a Muslim

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Everything that happens to you for the sake of Allah is an expiation for you, if Allah, the Exalted, wills. Hear the glad tidings narrated in the Hadith:

"If a woman obeys her Lord, offers her five daily prayers and preserves her honour, she will enter the Paradise of her Lord".

These are easy matters for the one for whom Allah makes them easy. So, by doing these great deeds, you will meet a Merciful Lord who will give you happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.

Follow His laws no matter where that leads you, and adhere to the Book of Allah (the Quran), and the Sunnah of His Messenger Muhammad (saw), for you are a Muslim woman, and this is a great honour and source of pride. Other women were born in the lands of disbelief, Christians, Jews or something other than the religion of Islam, but Allah chose you to be a Muslim woman, and He made you one of the followers of Muhammad (saw), following in the footsteps of Aisha, Khadija and Fatima - may Allah be pleased with them all.

Congratulations, for you offer the five daily prayers, you fast in Ramadan, you go on pilgrimage to the House, and you observe Islamic hijaab. 

Congratulations, for you are pleased with Allah as your Lord, Islam as your religion, and Muhammad (saw) as your prophet.

Your gold is your religion, your adornment is your moral attitude, and your wealth is your good manners.

Wasalaam!

The Month of Shawwal

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

When Ramadan ends, the month of Shawwal begins – on Eid ul Fitr day! When Shawwal begins, our test begins. We have just spent a whole month boosting our Imaan - it is up to us now to continue performing these good deeds throughout the rest of the year.

The scholars say that the sign of acceptance of good deeds in Ramadan is that we remain firm and regular on our good actions after this month is over – our connection with Allah should be stronger than ever!

We should ask ourselves: does Allah deserve to obeyed properly only in this one month? Does Allah deserve to be worshipped properly only in this one month? He looks after us during the rest of the 11 months so we owe Him at least this much.

Some Advice to help maintain an Islamic lifestyle after Ramadan

·       Keep up with the recital of the Quran. Keep your target small but consistent. A Hadith says that the most beloved deed to Allah are the regular ones, even if they amount to little in quantity. Why are the Muslims in such troubles today? Because they have left the greatest gift of Allah, and so they have lost the help of Allah.

·       Keep listening to Islamic lectures online etc – these are very beneficial and will give your Imaan a boost!

·       Study Islam and increase your knowledge about your religion and the Shariah. Try and learn the simple rulings, improve your tajweed or read the life story and sayings of the Prophet (saw). The more we learn about our religion, the more we will begin to recognise our creator and realise what He expects from us. This will help us to do things which please Allah and keep away from those things that anger Him.

·       Finally, the most important, regular 5 times Salah and to make dua at least once a day! Salah when performed 5 times a day will prevent you from almost every major sin: Indeed the prayer wards off indecency and lewdness (Surah Ankabut).

Stay firm on salah in times of happiness and fear, day and night, when free and when busy.

With salah comes dua! What can be said of the person who makes dua to Allah 5 times a day after each salah? You will find that all your worries and troubles will be gradually eased. You will become happy and content for you will come to appreciate and see that Allah does everything in His own time, according to his own wisdom and always does things which are best for us!

There is a saying: When Allah answers your dua straight away, it is because He is testing your faith. When Allah does not answer your dua straight away, it is because He is testing your patience. When Allah does not answer your dua at all, it is because He has something better for you. Those who happily leave everything in Allah’s hand will see Allah’s hand in everything.

Remember, regardless of your past, your mistakes and your ignorance, it’s a new start for all. If the likes of Hazrat Umar (ra) were transformed from the strongest of enemies to the 2^nd greatest companion, and was buried next to the Prophet (saw), then there is hope for us all. As long as we are willing to take advantage of Allah’s mercy by repenting over the past and making firm good intentions for the future.

A verse in the Quran reads in Surah Nisaa Verse 147:

What would Allah do with your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah Appreciative and Knowing.

This verse shows us that the way to Allah is simple - we must be grateful to Him and believe in Him. This means that we should act upon all His commands and follow the way of His beloved - the Prophet Muhammad (saw).

Six Fasts of Shawwal

Shawwal is the first of the 3 months named Ashur – ul – Hajj – the months of Hajj. We should try and keep 6 optional/nafl fasts in this month.

“Whoever completes the fasts of Ramadan, then adds to them the fast of six days in the month of Shawwal, it will carry the reward of fasting the whole year” (Muslim)

How does this work? Ramadan was 30 fasts, if we add the 6 fasts of Shawwal that is 36. Every good deed in Islam is multiplied by 10 and 36 multiplied by 10 is 360. There are 365 days in a year but fasting on 5 of these days is forbidden so that equals to 360!

In the Hadith, it mentions that anyone who does this always it’s as though he has fasted his entire life!

It’s better to keep any qadha fasts of this Ramadan first, then these six fasts. The six fasts do not have to kept straight away but in any order – as long as they are in Shawwal.

May Allah accept all our worship during Ramadan, and give us the ability to carry on worshipping Him properly throughout the rest of the year - Ameen!

Wasalaam!

A Few Thoughts

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

Bismillahi Rahmanir Raheem

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

A few nights ago, a friend called me and asked me to go over the story of Hazrat Umar (r.a), and how he reverted to Islam. We discussed the story, and went over the part where the first verses of the Quran that he read were the opening lines of Surah Ta-Ha:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1. Ta-Ha

2. We did not reveal the Quran to you to make you face hardship.

3. Rather to remind him who has the fear of Allah.

4. It being a revelation from the One Who created the earth, and high heavens.

5. The All Merciful has positioned Himself on the Throne.

6. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens, all that is on the earth and whatever lies between them and whatever lies beneath the soil.

7. If you pronounce the word aloud, then it makes no difference for He certainly knows the secret and what is even more hidden.

8. Such is Allah. There is no god but He. For Him are all the Beautiful Names.

It made me think. The verses that changed the heart of Hazrat Umar are the exact same ones in all copies of the Quran today. The verses that I'm reading in 2013 are the exact same verses that Hazrat Umar (r.a) read all those thousands of years ago in his sisters house, and they changed him in an instant.

It was this Quran that we have with us today and take for granted that changed these amazing men and women.

If you read about the state of the Arabs before the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), you'll see that they were idol worshippers and they put all their hopes and prayers to a statue that they made with their own hands. They were adulterers, alcoholics and murderers.

Then, through the same Quran and Sunnah that we have today, they became the people of Allah. Their names are still remembered today and will be remembered until the end of time. 

We have exactly what they had - the same words, verses and chapters. It's up to us to make use of it, and allow it to change our hearts just as it changed theirs. 

May Allah give us all the ability to become like the Sahabah (r.a) and Sahabiyaat (r.a)

Ameen.

Wasalaam!